This one might not make you faster, but it will make you happier.
And if you’re happier, who cares if you’re faster?
I’ve only had a few races where I could actually see the fish, but when I have, it has been great.
The first time I saw fish was at Bintan, Indonesia, 2015. The water was just clear enough and just shallow enough that for probably a quarter of the swim fish were visible.
“Am I on a snorkelling vacation or is this a race?” I asked myself.
Because seeing fish and experiencing this kind of underwater wonder isn’t what I had expected to experience during my swim.
Memories of kicks to my face and struggles against the current was all I could think about. (See hack #33).
But the more I looked at the fish, coral, and fascinating marine world under me, the less I thought this was an effort that had to hurt; rather one that could also be pleasant.
Swimming had never been my love, had never been the attraction to me.
But I’ve paid lots of good money to scuba dive and snorkel – so why not experience a bit of that now while possible?
In addition, if you can see the bottom, that can potentially help you go in a straight line. You may be able to pick an underwater landmark far away and swim right for it, without out-of-water sighting.
Everything I do in a race has to either make me faster or make me happier (see hack #3, Make a friend on the run and #16, Thank the volunteers), and this does the latter.